Sending out the right Soca Vybe

This time around, Gordon has another great song which he wrote himself, “Mash It Up Again,” and he has performed at numerous events leading up to Carnival. He was also a 2007 bmobile International Soca Monarch semi-finalist

By no means a newcomer to the local music industry, the Versatile Young Black Entertainer, hence the acronym Vybe, first entered the soca arena back in 1989 with a cover band called M-Voice. In 1997, he paired up with Sharlene Boodram on “Joe Le Taxi,” a re-make of a 1980s hit by French Pop star Vanessa Paradis. The song was number one in all the French-speaking islands and an underground hit in Paris.

After a brief stint with the band Horyzon, in 1999, Mista Vybe joined Atlantik. In 2000 he moved on to the band Triple X, joining long- time friends Michelle Sylvester and Nadia Batson, but soon left to pursue a solo career, turning out the hit track “Up.”

In 2006, Mista Vybe also collaborated with Michelle Sylvester on the hit track “Always On My Mind,” which was mainly geared for the international crossover market.

Being versatile is his trademark and he certainly lives up to the title, effortlessly switching between sweet-voiced R&B singing, Hip-Hop rapping, “chatting” in Dancehall/Reggae fashion, “freestyling” lyrics spontaneously with energetic live stage performances and even singing his own background vocals.

During a recent interview with Newsday, Vybe explained that “Mash It Up” was inspired by Superblue, who he said has been a great influence in his writing and singing career.

He got his first “big break” as the lead vocalist of the now defunct group Blak Mayl.